Here's another experiment to make cider in one bottle with a few easy steps. This could also be done in a gallon jug and transferred to remove the sediment but for this first cider experiment it shouldn't matter much if there's yeast at the bottom. I just won't pour out the last little bit when I go to drink this and most will stay at the bottom if I pour carefully.
This is based partly on my previous apple wine recipe, the trick this time is to monitor the gravity readings and when it gets below 1.01 to put the cap on tightly and let the remaining sugar carbonate the bottle. This may only take a few days to drop from 1.034 to 1.01.
For more details on the method check out my blog. The quick instructions are below which are a slight variation of my wine method.
After the ingredients are added cover the top with breathable paper as the yeast are multiplying, after the gravity reading drops to 1.01 or you notice most of the activity is rapidly slowing tightly seal the cap and leave it for another 2-3 weeks to carbonate. I would probably leave it until the liquid is clear to bother trying to taste it otherwise it will have a yeasty taste.
Ingredients:
3/4 liter apple juice (next time will be a full liter)
1/2 cup dextrose
1/8 tsp DAP
1/8 tsp bentonite
1 tsp home made yeast nutrient (made from deactivated yeast)
1/8 tsp Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast
Results:
Starting gravity 1.034
Final gravity 0.998
Final alcohol 4.73%
A few things didn't turn out exactly as I wanted this time because I didn't test the gravity until 5 days after and by that time it was already at 1.0 so there wasn't much sugar left to carbonate the drink. I added in a 1/8th of a teaspoon of dextrose and sealed it hoping this would be enough. I also used a cap from another bottle and I kind of wonder if it was fully sealed. Either way it didn't carbonate enough. Next time I would just seal the bottle after 3-4 days. I would like to do this by timing rather than measurement just so I don't have to remove any liquid to test it and risk contamination. This can be tricky due to bottles bursting due to excess pressure. This is why I only use plastic for anything carbonated but I think I can get it in a range that'll be close enough.
The flavor is quite mild, if it had been carbonated I think it would have passed as a drinkable mild cider with a slightly sour apple flavor. Overall I think this was a good result for a first try. I wanted a lighter type of drink but I will also give it a try using straight apple juice coming up.
This is different than store bought cider which usually has a very strong tart flavor. I found out that there are different varieties of apples used for cider that are much higher in tannins but for home brewing any apple juice will suffice.
More experiments are coming and next time it will be carbonated!
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